EXCLUSIVE: Four out of 10 young people say they will BREAK Covid lockdown rules this Christmas - more than double the number of over-65s who say they will go rogue

Four out of 10 young people say they will break the coronavirus lockdown rules this Christmas, a survey has found.

Forty per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds said they would flout the restrictions over the festive period, the YouGov poll for MailOnline revealed.

It is more than double the number of over-65s - just 15 per cent - who admitted they will go rogue when asked.

But 14 per cent of youths said they would definitely break the rules during the holiday - which are expected to return to the Tier system.

It comes as the country today plunged into a second national lockdown, with pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops in England forced to close.

Boris Johnson insisted four weeks of restrictions should be enough to drive down the spread of coronavirus so the severe measures can be eased.

He said 'the objective' is to return to regional restrictions next month so 'people across this country will be able to have as normal a Christmas as possible'.

Four out of 10 young people say they will break the coronavirus lockdown rules this Christmas, a survey has found

Four in ten Britons say such restrictions would not affect their usual Christmas celebrations in the first place

Yet over three quarters - 76 per cent - of Britons think most people will break any rules in place over the period so they can meet and visit friends and family.

A third, 31 per cent, say they think this will definitely happen, despite only 24 per cent overall admitting they themselves would not follow the restrictions.

The majority claim they will not be rule-breakers as two in three - 67 per cent - say they would follow government measures.

Half of the public even said they would not mind if restrictions such as the 'rule of six' or a ban on households mixing are in place over Christmas.

Elderly people were less likely to be bothered, with 55 per cent of over 65-year-olds saying this, while just 41 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds agreeing.

Men are also noticeably more likely to say they would not mind - 58 per cent - than women - 43 per cent.

Four in ten Britons say such restrictions would not affect their usual Christmas celebrations in the first place.

Half of the public even said they would not mind if restrictions such as the 'rule of six' or a ban on households mixing are in place over Christmas

Forty per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds said they would flout the restrictions over the festive period, the YouGov poll for MailOnline revealed (file photo)

But a majority - 54 per cent - say it would have a noticeable impact, including 27 per cent who say it would cause 'a great deal' of disruption.

Women are more likely than men to think it will affect their usual celebrations by 61 per cent to 46 per cent).

Members of the public were ordered to stay at home for the next four weeks in a bid to reverse the spread of the virus.

Last night, MPs voted by 516 to 38 - a Government majority of 478 - for the new rules, which are due to expire on December 2.

But 32 Tory MPs defied the whips to vote against, with two more acting as tellers for the noes.

The new restrictions were then cleared through Parliament after they were approved by the House of Lords.

The lockdown comes with a number of exceptions, including pupils going to school, outdoor exercise and 'safe visiting' for care home residents and their families.

Under new Government guidelines, care home visitors will be encouraged to meet their loved ones through a window or in an outside setting.

But the guidance - issued less than 12 hours before new lockdown measures came into force - was criticised and dismissed as 'warm words' by care experts.

Also today, all students and teachers in secondary schools and colleges in England are required to wear face coverings when moving around the premises.

People in Wales will be able to return to pubs and restaurants and schools are set to reopen when the nation's two-and-a-half week 'firebreak' ends next week.

A regional tiered approach to restrictions is in force across Scotland, while in Northern Ireland, pubs and restaurants are still shuttered after being closed for four weeks starting on October 16.

In a press briefing tonight the PM recognised many were 'anxious, weary and fed up' of restrictions.

At a Downing Street press conference officially welcoming the nation into its second national lockdown, the Prime Minister and NHS England chief Sir Simon Stevens pointed to the graph as evidence to justify the month-long intervention

Mr Johnson said he has 'every confidence' the measures will work so the NHS will not be overwhelmed and the lockdown in England can be eased back into a tiered system on December 2.

He faced questions over whether he would be able to extend the national restrictions if necessary after 32 Tories defied the whip to vote against the measures.

'The advice I have received suggests that four weeks is enough for these measures to make a real impact,' he told a Downing Street press conference.

'These rules will expire and on December 2 we plan to move back to a tiered approach. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

'These are difficult times. While it pains me to have to ask once again for so many to give up so much, I know we can get through this.'

He said 'the objective' is to return to regional restrictions next moth so 'people across this country will be able to have as normal a Christmas as possible'.

Mr Johnson was questioned whether he would be able to rely on his own MPs for subsequent measures or if he would have to rely on Labour votes after a further 18 Tories, including former prime minister Theresa May, did not vote in a Commons vote to pass the lockdown regulations.

'I'm very, very grateful to MPs for voting through the measures that we did yesterday and I believe that I'm right in saying that the Government was able to do it with its own votes, but obviously it was good that this was a measure that was supported by people across all political parties, and that's the right way forward in this country,' Mr Johnson said.

Mr Johnson insisted test and trace is improving after it recorded a record low for contacts reached in England but acknowledged 'frustrations' with the system and accepted it 'hasn't had as much impact as we would have wanted'.

Pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops have closed their doors and people have been told to stay at home for the next four weeks but schools, universities and nurseries are remaining open.

By Mr Johnson's side, NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens assured sceptics that the second wave of the pandemic 'is real and serious'.

'The health service has been working incredibly hard to prepare and to catch up on the care that was disrupted during the first wave,' he added.

Sir Simon said around 30,000 staff in the health service were either off with coronavirus or having to self-isolate, and 'that has an impact'.

Mr Johnson continued to express optimism that science would succeed in finding a way out of the crisis.

'The number of shots that are currently raining down on the goal is very, very considerable from the scientists and the doctors, and one of them, I believe, is going to get to get through, and get through very soon,' he said.